self-ruling

adjective

ˌself-ˈrü-liŋ How to pronounce self-ruling (audio)
Definition of self-rulingnext
1
as in democratic
of, relating to, or favoring political democracy having rid itself of the yoke of colonialism, the new nation chose to be a self-ruling state

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2
as in independent
not being under the rule or control of another was granted special status as a self-ruling province

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of self-ruling But the real change might be in East Asia, where Kim’s belligerence and rising fears regarding China’s designs on self-ruling Taiwan had already reenergized the nuclear debate. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Mar. 2026 Like Assad before him, Sharaa now faces complex negotiations toward bringing these self-ruling territories under his command. — Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025 In recent years, Beijing has ramped up economic, diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan – a self-ruling democracy the Chinese Communist Party claims as its own despite having never governed it. — Eric Cheung, CNN, 13 Mar. 2023 In a meeting earlier with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Raisi expressed support for China's crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong and claim to self-ruling democratic Taiwan. — Bradford Betz, Fox News, 17 Feb. 2023 See All Example Sentences for self-ruling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-ruling
  1. democratic
  2. independent
  3. autonomous
  4. sovereign
  5. separate
Adjective
  • And the government reshuffles in Kyiv, as well as major anti-government protests, show that civil society and democratic processes are still alive and well in Ukraine.
    — Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • New York assemblywoman Emily Gallagher, a democratic socialist, spoke at a rally on Thursday protesting against jailing people who steal items, such as personal care products, as a result of living in poverty.
    — Emily Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of democratic
Adjective
  • Authorities have opened roughly 10 criminal cases against independent journalists and popular bloggers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • One of the loudest voices in the cattle world agitating against the border reopening is Bill Bullard, the CEO of R-CALF, a national association of independent cattle and sheep farmers.
    — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of independent
Adjective
  • The partnership combines Saildrone’s experience operating autonomous vessels in remote maritime environments with Lockheed Martin’s expertise in weapons, sensors, combat systems and mission integration.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
  • As men, women and children flooded across the border between Morocco and Spain, into the autonomous city of Ceuta at the end of July, European populists and anti-immigrant politicians capitalized on the shocking images of human desperation.
    — Vasco Cotovio, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of autonomous
Adjective
  • Gartner expects sovereign-cloud spending to reach $80 billion in 2026, with a fifth of workloads shifting from global providers to local ones.
    — Bora Unlu, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • SpaceX could emerge as a serious competitor, while sovereign wealth funds such as Saudi Arabia’s PIF and Abu Dhabi’s MGX combine cheap capital, abundant power and the flexibility to work with both western and Chinese AI companies.
    — Amit Joshi, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of sovereign
Adjective
  • The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office later told PEOPLE that Hickerson was arrested in two separate incidents in August 2025.
    — Sean Mandell, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Across the 10 seasons PSR was in operation from 2015-16 onwards, our calculations turned up 40 separate instances of SCR excesses.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of separate

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self-rule
self-ruling
self-sacrifice
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Cite this Entry

“Self-ruling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-ruling. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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